Like you, we love the islands and do our utmost to preserve and protect them for you and for future generations.
Legally protecting land is the first step in conservation. We may do this by acquiring the land or placing a covenant on it.
Islands Trust Conservancy’s mandate is to protect land entrusted to us in perpetuity. In part, that means ensuring the ecological integrity of the protected area is never lost.
Management of Nature Reserves
Islands Trust Conservancy owns and manages 34 nature reserves on islands throughout the Salish Sea. We develop management plans for each of these properties.
These are work plans tailored to each site that strive to maintain or enhance the natural features special to the property. Our priority is to preserve and protect the natural ecosystems, and the cultural and natural values of each site.
Part of our work is maintaining biodiversity for the benefit of the flora and fauna of the reserve, the residents of the island, and all British Columbians.
The care for each property varies depending on the site. Typical management activities include species-at-risk monitoring and protection, invasive species removal, and restoration of disturbed areas.
We build partnerships with local island conservancies to help carry out most of the management activities. Periodically, we take on management projects in our protected areas.
Monitoring of Conservation Covenants
The Islands Trust Conservancy holds 79 conservation covenants, including 28 through NAPTEP (Natural Area Protection Tax Exemption Program).
Covenants are legal agreements protecting natural values on private land. Covenants are monitored annually by the covenant holder(s) to ensure that the natural values of the land continue to be protected according to the terms of the covenant agreement.
At each monitoring visit, site information is collected and the condition of the natural values assessed. A letter is sent to the landholders to update them on the findings of the visit.